The Reason Is You
by ReesesPieces2112
Summary: Lydia and Stiles after Eichen House.


**Hello! (: Not much to say. Just that I'm totally obsessed with Teen Wolf and Stydia. Sue me.**

 **much love,**

 **ReesesPieces2112**

* * *

To say their schoolmates had no idea what was going on around them was an understatement. But the students of Beacon Hills High School knew enough about Scott and his odd friendship with the once popular Lydia Martin that they felt the need to stare as soon as she stepped through the doors two days after her escape from Eichen.

If Lydia thought the whispers were bad after her return from wondering the woods a couple years ago, she was definitely not prepared for the blank stares and the giggles. But again, she held her head high and stuck her nose in the air because she was a Martin and Martins don't hide. Things were different this time though; she wasn't the girl who held herself up on a pedestal like she did her Sophomore year. Her delicate side showed, her intelligence had shone since her friendship with Scott, Allison, and Stiles. Being a banshee didn't help. She could hear the jokes this time, the whispers, the snarls, the name calling. Something in her chest started to build and tears came to her eyes as she could feel the all too familiar scream rising quickly.

Lydia closed her eyes to try and calm herself; some things Valack literally drilled into her head actually helped, like her ability to focus and keep her scream from shattering everyone's eardrums. And just like that the sounds were no more. It wasn't until she began to register the warmth over her ears that she realized Stiles had come from behind her and shoved his beanie over her head along with his hands.

'Stiles' Stilinski had prepared all morning for Lydia's return. He knew the kids at school, the judgmental ass holes, would talk as soon as she stepped foot on campus. He watched from his locker as she entered the school, trying her best to ignore their classmates, but it wasn't working so well. The fact that she passed by him without any acknowledgement is what made it clear that she was just going through the motions. And he heard it; the word 'freak' echoed off the walls, a whisper that seemed a lot louder amongst the silence. Stiles looked to Lydia and saw the way her shoulders tensed and rushed to her, knowing what was to come. He pulled the black beanie over her ears and clamped his hands over the cloth.

Lydia sucked in her breath as her eyes shot wide open, turning her head to look at him. Gracing him with a thankful smile, she took hold of his hands and removed them. Making her way to her locker became an easier task with Stiles by her side and as per usual, before Malia, she stepped so close to him that their hands brushed together. Opening her locker she found the mirror stuck to the door, she inspected herself and found that she rather liked the way she looked wearing Stiles' beanie.

"How'd you sleep?" Stiles asked, breaking the silence.

"More than two hours this time," She responded, closing her locker after gathering her books and leaning against it, "if that's what you're really asking."

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, fiddling with the sleeves of his flannel shirt. "I was going to go over but-."

"My mom." She nodded. "I know she still doesn't fully trust you guys yet, but she's definitely getting there."

"Tonight." He promised, looking down at their hands when he felt the tips of her fingers brushing his. "Tonight I'll go over."

Lydia simply nodded and finally slipped her fingers to tangle together with his and leaned her head against his shoulder. "How long will you stay?"

"However long you want me to." Stiles turned and kissed the top of her head, taking a second to close his eyes and get lost in the smell of her shampoo and the electricity running through his body.

Her grip tightened on his hand and sighed with content; Stiles had saved her life. Well, all of her friends had saved her life, but it was Stiles who burst through that door underneath Eichen and ran to her. It was Stiles who stayed by her side and endured her piercing screams as his ear bled out. Stiles had been the one who pulled her from the brink of death as she laid on that metal slab at the animal clinic. His voice, the panic in his voice, and the strain as he tried not to cry had echoed in her mind; made her pull away from the sweet silence that came with death. She felt the tears threaten to fall again as she realized if not for Stiles, she would have died…she would have wanted to die. No more banshee wails, no more hearing every little thing, no more fear.

But death, she realized, would have meant leaving everyone. Leaving her mom, Kira, Malia, Scott, Liam…Stiles. Leaving Stiles would have hurt the most. Even the thought brought a weight down on her chest and she struggled to breath as she tried to process what could have happened if Stiles wasn't there. She remembered the emptiness that settled inside someone when they lost a loved one. She knew all too well how much Stiles loved her but she wasn't prepared for her feelings for him to sneak up on her. She didn't know how to handle her love for him, especially when Malia had joined their group of friends.

"Lydia?" Stiles whispered in her ear; he noticed she had began to take in short breaths, holding them, and letting them go in small bursts. Turning his entire body to face her, he put his free hand on her cheek. "Lydia, hey, look at me. Listen to me, okay? Just me. Listen to my voice."

"There it is." She whispered back to him, raising her head to meet his eyes. "The panic in your voice. The fear. The small whimper at the back of your throat that you didn't even know was there. It's the same voice you used that night in the field when I was attacked by Peter, when Tracy cut open my side, and again when you brought me to Deaton a few nights ago."

"Lydia, I don't…" Stiles frowned at her, darting his tongue out to wet his lips as he tried to make sense of it all. "I don't understand."

"I love you, Stiles," Lydia sobbed out, "I love you and I don't know how or why it took me so long. Somewhere in the midst of the Nogitsune, Allison's death, the Benefactor, and the Dread Doctors, I fell in love with you. And when I was in Eichen house you're all I could think about, about keeping you safe and-."

Stiles quickly closed the space between them, pushing her against the locker and kissing her. He thought he was dreaming; Lydia Martin, Lydia _freaking_ Martin just said she loved him. It had to be a dream, but the way she lightly bit his bottom lip assured him that it was most definitely _not_ his mind playing tricks on him.

Lydia clung to him, pulling on his flannel and running her hands through his hair. She felt his hands cradle her face, stroking her cheek and drawing patterns on her neck. Tugging on his hair, she felt something desperate take over her, the need to have him closer than he already was because she was afraid the past few days were just a fantasy and she was still stuck at Eichen.

"Lydia." Stiles breathed as he pulled away, chuckling when she chased after his kiss. Leaning his forehead against hers, he was going to say he loved her too but she had silenced him with a kiss on his cheek.

She wrapped her arms around him in a hug and buried her face in his t-shirt. "Stiles," She whispered, "I know."

The loud clearing of a throat…of an Alpha, broke them apart. Scott grinned at them and scratched at the back of his neck, embarrassed that he interrupted them. "Uh, sorry. Kira was looking for you, Lydia, she wanted to walk to class with you."

"Oh," Lydia reluctantly pulled away from Stiles and nodded at Scott. "Thank you."

"I'll be there when you're done." Stiles called after her and noticed that somehow his beanie stayed secure in its place on her head. He swallowed the lump in his throat when he realized that she had been wearing jeans and a plain red shirt, very un-Lydia like and yet very like her; to still manage to leave him staring after her even in such a simple outfit.

Scott laughed at his best friend, his brother, and slapped his shoulder to get his attention. "Dude, let's get to class. We have so much to catch up on and if we don't, my mom's going to kill us."

* * *

Stiles had been leaning against the doorframe of Lydia's first class when the bell rang like he had promised. Lacing their fingers together when she walked out with Kira and catching her by surprise, he smirked at her as if to say 'told you so'. He leaned in to kiss her but she turned and his lips grazed her cheek instead. He noticed the blush creeping up and smiled, pulling her forward and leading her down the hall to their next class.

Scott met them halfway and put an arm around Kira's shoulder. Both he and Kira heard the whispers around the hallway, all about Lydia and Stiles. They knew Lydia could hear it too, but she chose to ignore it because finally, _finally_ she was happy.

"You know I'm keeping your beanie." She looked up at Stiles as if to dare him to argue with her.

Stiles knew better; there was no arguing, daring, or challenging Lydia Martin. It was one of the many, many things he loved about her. He leaned down and kissed her temple, a silent agreement that yes, he knew she was going to keep his beanie. It looked good on her; the black of the material complimented her strawberry blonde hair and fair skin.

As they reached her next class, she turned to him and stood on her toes to leave a small peck on his lips before running inside and taking her seat.

"They're cute." Kira told Scott as she nodded to Lydia and Stiles. "It's good for them."

Scott looked down at his girlfriend and smiled at her. "Yeah, it is." He squeezed her closer, happy to have her back. Yes, the fox was still something she was learning to control, but he'd rather help her instead of her being stuck in the desert with Skinwalkers.

The day went on, Stiles and Lydia walked to class hand in hand each time and when lunch came around, she plopped down in his lap. They laughed with their friends, they joked, they brought up Theo and his pack once and the Beast, but it didn't disrupt the happiness bubbling within Lydia. No, it only fueled her more to keep Stiles safe, to keep all of her friends safe.

Stiles had his arms wrapped around her waist, wound so tightly he was surprised she was even still able to breathe. He didn't miss the look that crossed Malia's face; they had broken up, and she knew long before they were together how much he loved Lydia, but their feelings for each other were still real.

Malia was happy for Stiles and Lydia, she really was, and when they succeeded at breaking Lydia out of Eichen, she was so relieved to have her friend home and safe. She wouldn't admit that it stung to see them together, but she also knew she wasn't right for Stiles. Not when the only person who could bring him back, who could calm him down, was Lydia Martin.

Lydia looked down at Stiles, admiring the goofy grin on his face, his eyes, everything about him. She had been scratching his scalp lightly and she could feel his thumb drawing patterns on her thigh. She couldn't help it; she had to kiss him again. And so she did, cupping his cheek and feeling him smile against her lips. As they broke apart she said, again, "I love you, Stiles."


End file.
